Coveted Cotton
by thelonelyone
Summary: Harm has something Mac wants... but what is she willing to do to get it?
1. Bubbles and Tears

Disclaimer: No, I don't, but yes, I'd like to…

A/N: We've been gettin' some pretty good reviews… so we decided to do this little tag-team thing again… you are warned: this is a pointless, almost plot-less little doodie of a read, but hey… it's something to read, isn't it? lol. The way we do this is… Sarah comes up with chapter 1, then passes it along to me… I read it, then write chapter 2... She reads chapter 2, writes chapter 3, etc… it works well believe it or not… -Dana

A/N2: Sarah had this to say- "Dana was in a strange mood the whole time she was writing the Harm parts… I must say that I was impressed. Her mood made for some awesome reading that was a challenge to respond to… I love her humor and the way she's 'does' Harm… hmmm… doing Harm… anyway, we both hope y'all enjoy this… Here's to tonight not being a complete waste of an hour! Love, SAK" My response to all of that- I was in a mood? Hmm, I wonder why! (Sarah you OWE me pop tarts, and I just told the fanfic world so they are my witnesses… lousy roommate…) Oh, and I would love to do Harm, and so would must of y'all, so please read and review…

Coveted Cotton

"Bubbles and Tears"

Chapter 1

Right now, all I want to do is get naked and slip into a tub full of hot water and lots and lots of bubbles.

I need to soak, and I need to think…

Walking through the door, I begin stripping immediately.

I love being a Marine, but it's time to be a woman… a naked woman.

Where my uniform lands is of no concern to me right now.

I don't care that the 'message' light is blinking.

That stack of bills will have to wait.

Now naked and in my bathroom, I smile as I bend down and turn the hot water on.

I grab my bottle of Bath and Body Works Sheer Freesia Bubble Bath, click it open, and squeeze.

That should be enough…

As bubbles fill the tub and a sweet scent fills the air, I light a few candles.

This is long overdue. I needed this last week… and the week before that…

I turn the water off and slowly slip into the tub.

Oh, God… this is… this is amazing.

I close my eyes as I rest my arms along the sides of the tub and lean back. Relaxed completely, I sigh…

This is nice. This is just what I have been needing… a chance to relax, to think..

And, once again, who am I thinking about?

Harm.

Here lately, my thoughts have been centered around him.

I know that I am losing him… again.

I'm pushing him away, leaving him no choice but to move on. I've rejected him and rejected him… and I see that look in his eyes…

I hear the questions he is too polite, too in love to ask…

When will you love me?

Why won't you let me in?

Have I done something wrong?

Why won't you let me love you?

Do you love me?

Will we ever be together?

Am I waiting for nothing?

Is there anything I can do to ease your pain?

All of these questions that I see in his eyes…

But he's not saying anything.

True to his word, he is waiting until I am ready.

He's waiting… but still..

I know it.

I know that slowly but surely, he is slipping away from me… and it's my fault.

Lately, he has been tired… mentally, physically, and emotionally drained.

He hasn't said anything to make me think that he has been feeling a little run-down. He hasn't had to. I can look at him and tell.

After all these years, I have come to know him better than I know myself… and maybe that's the problem.

I can't tell where he starts and where I end… our words, our thoughts, our actions, our emotions… they are so intertwined…

It makes no sense at all, but we're too together to be together.

Two separate entities with a bond like the one we share… it's impossible to get ourselves out of the way. I'm too wrapped around him, tangled up in him…

One of these days, my resolve and my strength is not going to be enough to stop me from turning to him… and something deep down inside tells me that day is rapidly approaching…

It's getting harder and harder to tell him no… my mouth refuses, but my heart is already his…

It's getting harder and harder to be around him without being pressed up against him, without being held in his arms…

I love him, and even though it scares me to admit it…

I need him.

I've never needed anyone the way I need him, and I am scared…

What if I've waited too late?

What if, when I finally turn to him, he's not there?

What if I need him… and he's not there?

I am not surprised as I feel tears forming.

At work, I talk the talk and walk the walk of a kick-ass, take-no-shit, drop-and-give-me-fifty Marine…

At work, I never miss a beat and I stand my ground, fighting for justice, armed with passionate words and the truth…

But here… here, I am naked, warm, and vulnerable… my defenses shattered, my strength gone, my resolve virtually nonexistent…

Here… I am not a Marine, I am a woman who is hurting, confused, and battle-scarred…

The tears fall and I make no effort to wipe them away.

It's okay to cry, isn't it?

It's okay to not have all the answers, right?

I can hurt, can't I?

I don't know… I don't know anything anymore…

All I know is that my water is getting cold, my heart is breaking, and I am completely, utterly, alone…


	2. Presumptions

Disclaimer: I wish they were, but they're not… sigh

A/N: It's my turn! YAY! This was fun to write. I dunno where the idea came from, but come it did, and you know me… I just had to run with it-Dana

Enjoy, and please, review!

Thanks!

Coveted Cotton

"Presumptions"

Chapter 2

I've knocked a total of twelve times.

It's possible that she just doesn't want to see me.

Of course, it's also possible that she is sleeping…

Or that she just hasn't heard me…

I pull my keys out of my pocket and find the spare key to her apartment. I slip the key into the lock, unlock the door, and walk in.

I close the door behind me and look around.

It's obvious that she walked in and started stripping… her uniform on the floor, her heels stepped out of, her cover tossed onto her couch…

I stop and stand completely still.

The thought that crosses my mind makes me feel sick: she's not alone.

What if she wasn't the only one stripping?

What will I do if I walk in on her and… who? Who's here with her? Webb? Someone else?

I should call out, but I can't speak, I can't even take a step…

I frantically search for signs of her not being alone… a tie… shoes… pants… anything..

I scan the room and find nothing that suggests that she has company…

What if he waited until they were in the bedroom?

What if he wasn't getting undressed because he was busy undressing her?

Son of a bitch…

I feel like kicking her bedroom door open, pulling whoever's on top of her off of her, and beating him senseless…

I feel like screaming, crying even…

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

I need to know…

"Mac? Hey, it's me… where are you?" I call out, dreading her response.

It's going to kill me if she rushes out, wearing nothing but a robe, her hair all a mess… she'll give me some excuse as she pushes me towards the door… I can just hear it now… 'Right now's not a good time, Harm… I'm too busy fucking someone else… but you can come back later… tomorrow maybe?'

I stand here waiting, my stomach hurting, my heart breaking…

"Harm?" She calls out.

I can't tell if she's in her bedroom… or her bathroom…

Please, let her be doing anything but someone else… let her be making her bed, changing clothes… let her be taking a shit for all I care…

"Yeah… it's me. Where are you?" I ask, afraid of the truth.

"Uh, give me a second… I'll be right there." She says, her tone one of panic.

God, if she's with someone else…

When she steps into the living room, her hair is wet and is a mess… she's wearing a robe, she is barefooted, and she has a towel in her hand.

"Welcome back." She says, smiling.

I can't bring myself to smile.

"If I'm interrupting something… I can come back later." I tell her, feeling my anger and pain intensify.

For someone who was just getting fucked, she sure seems calm about me being here.

"Interrupting something? What would you be interrupting?" She asks, beginning to towel-dry her hair.

"You tell me." I say, the sound of my voice surprising me. I am instantly filled with regret. What I've just said and how I've just said it sounded harsh and cut-to-the-bone.

I sound angry, accusatory…

If she notices my tone, she doesn't let it show…

"Oh, Harm… it was amazing. I've been needing that for about two or three weeks.." She says, draping the towel over her shoulders.

At this point I have heard enough…

"I don't want to hear about whatever it is that you've been up to… maybe I'll call before I stop by next time. I'll, ah… see you later." I say, turning to leave.

"Whoa, wait a minute… what have you got against a long, hot bubble bath? And aren't you going to fill me in on what happened with Sturgis?" She asks, confused.

I stop and turn around.

"Bubble bath? I interrupted your bubble bath?" I ask, pleasantly surprised and a little more than relieved.

She smiles and nods. "Yeah… I was in there about an hour… had myself a long, hot soak, and a long, hard cry. It was great… therapeutic." She says, pulling her robe together a little more. "I'll be back. I'm going to put some clothes on. Make yourself at home…" She adds, disappearing into her bedroom.

Once she is out of earshot, I start laughing.

I can't believe I allowed my mind to…

And I acted like such an ass…

She was taking a bubble bath… and crying?

Why was she crying?

Should I ask her about it?

Or… should I wait until she brings it up?

I walk over to her couch, sit down, and wait…


	3. What Other Hand?

Disclaimer: Uh, no. We don't own 'em, and we don't care about getting sued. At this point, I am so disgusted with DPB that if I met him, I would fling pooh at him and call him all kinds of ugly names while jumping up and down, throwing the biggest temper tantrum you've EVER seen. (Sarah says she doesn't want to get sued… and that she would hug DPB and beg him to let Harm and Mac get together in the series finale.) I should punch her, but I won't because I need her to help me through the whole being-of-Mac in this chapter…

A/N: My disclaimer was long enough to be my A/N… and Sarah has nothing to add because she stole my pop tarts… I hope they made you pooh a lot and that you feel a tremendous amount of GUILT- Dana

Coveted Cotton

"What Other Hand?"

Chapter 3

I frantically search for something to wear as I wonder why Harm is here with his ass on his shoulders…

His tone was a bit harsh… but mine would be too if my ex-best friend had trumped up charges against me like that.

Sturgis deserves to have the piss beat out of him, and if I could get away with doing it… if I knew there would be no repercussions… I would stomp his tonsils straight out his asshole…

I put on a black bra, a matching thong, and slip into some jeans.

Where the hell is that black t-shirt? I just saw it this morning… but where?

There's a knock at the door and I hear Harm ask, "You decent?"

I bite my bottom lip before calling out, "Uh… yeah."

He walks in and I have my back to him.

"That's decent?" He asks, laughing a little.

Good.

He's in a better mood…

"It is to me… and don't act like you've never seen a bra before, Harm." I tell him, still searching for my shirt. "Do you see a black shirt anywhere?" I ask, turning around.

Without even looking around my bedroom, he says, "No."

I smile.

"Did you even look around, or are you just telling me that so that I'll stay in jeans and a bra?" I ask, laughing.

He flashes me a smile. "I plead the fifth." He says, finally looking around the room.

"It was here this morning… somewhere." I tell him, frowning.

He shrugs his shoulders and says, "Just put something else on."

I roll my eyes.

"I don't won't to wear something else… I want my black t-shirt." I tell him, pulling another drawer open.

It's not in this drawer either.

"Mac… just… grab something. Don't you have another black shirt? Or that one… what's wrong with that one?" He says, pointing to the shirt I am holding in my hand.

I look down and turn my nose up.

"It's white." I tell him, balling it up and cramming it back into the drawer.

"Yeah, so?" He asks, walking over to the end of my bed and sitting down.

I glare at him.

Does he think I am that stupid?

"Harm… the shirt is white… my bra is black." I tell him, still pulling shirts and socks out of my drawer.

"Oh." He says, my point dawning on him.

"Ah, yeah…" I say, opening another drawer.

"Do you trust me?" He asks, standing up and walking over to me.

I nod.

"Yeah… why?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

What is he up to?

He peeps into the drawer I have just opened and smiles.

"That's… nice… real nice." He says, pointing to a camouflage thong. "I wouldn't have guessed you to be the thong type." He adds, his eyes leaving mine for a second.

He glances at my chest and with my index finger under his chin, I lift his head so that he is looking into my eyes.

"Eye contact." I say, then turn to close my drawer.

"You said you trust me, right?" He asks, walking over to my closet.

"Of course I trust you." I tell him, closing my drawer.

When it's the last thing on my list of things to do, I'll find that damn shirt…

Isn't that how it always goes?

I think it's just my luck… or my life…

I watch as he opens my closet.

He's giving this some thought…

Forty-eight seconds of silence later, he looks at me and smiles.

"You wanted something black?" He asks, still looking into my closet.

"Preferably…" I tell him, walking over to where he is standing.

He shrugs.

"Nope. Nothing. I don't see anything that works…" He tells me, closing my closet.

I laugh.

"You mean to tell me that there's nothing in that closet that I can put on?" I ask sarcastically.

He shrugs and once again he says, "I plead the fifth."

I walk over to my closet and open it.

"What about that black turtleneck? Or that black sweater?" I ask him.

He leans in close to me, peering into the closet.

"You said you wanted a black t-shirt…" He says, flashing me that gorgeous smile of his and closing my closet.

It hits me that his left hand has been behind his back since he walked in and sat down on the end of my bed.

"Harm… what's in your hand?" I ask, taking a step towards him.

He raises his right hand.

"Nothing." He says, still smiling.

"And the other hand?" I ask him, holding out my hand.

"What other hand?" He asks, feigning innocence.

He's not fooling me… but I'll play along…

"Your left hand, Harm… the one that's behind your back…" I tell him, hand still outstretched.

"Oh… that hand." He says, sticking his right hand behind his back, then holding up his left hand. "Nothing's in this hand." He tells me, still smiling…

Okay, Harm… if you want to play…

We'll play…


	4. Something's Up

Disclaimer: They are still not ours, but that has never stopped us before, so why should it stop us now?

A/N: Okay, with the way Sarah left that last chapter, I have a lot of options, don't I? I mean, Mac's in jeans and a bra… Sarah, you vixen, you… I can't resist this, and you know it, don't you? You guys see how she manipulates me? (honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way…)

A/N2: Sarah, I forgive you for eating my pop tarts… but you should still feel a little guilty for three or four more days… and you should make restitution… I want you laptop, your collection of CD's, your amazing 'write as Mac' talent, and some gummy bears… then all will be forgiven and forgotten… (I publicize my feuds with Sarah because I can… she loves me too much to kill me for telling you guys that she is a pop tart snatching stupid head…) Enjoy, and make me smile… go ahead… you know what I want you to do…

Coveted Cotton

"Something's Up…"

Chapter 4

Damn…

There is no way in hell she's getting this shirt…

A uniform-clad Mac is impressive…

Mac barefooted in jeans and a bra?

Holy shit…

I watch her as she takes a step closer to me.

"You sure you haven't seen my shirt?" She asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

I nod.

"So you won't mind showing me both of your hands… at the same time?" She asks, a small smile forming on her lips.

Her shirt is in my right hand.

I've had it since I walked in and spotted it on the floor near her bed.

Her back was too me, I grabbed it, tucked it behind my back with my left hand, sat down on her bed, and watched her search for it…

I tuck the shirt into the waistband of my pants and hold both of my hands up.

She has this cute, confused expression on her face.

"You thought I had your shirt, didn't you?" I ask, stepping towards her.

She narrows her eyes at me and I know she knows…

She has figured it out.

Sometimes, I just don't give her enough credit.

"I don't think you've got it… I know you do." She says, confidently.

I smile.

"If you think I've got it… why don't you come and get it?" I ask, challenging her.

Mac is always up for a challenge.

That's one of the things that I love about her…

Hmm… she's standing in front of me in her bra… I guess I can now add two more things to the list of things that I love about her…

She closes the gap between us, pressing her body up against mine, as she says, "I want that shirt…"

Her hands roam up my chest and I look down at her and smile.

"If you want it… find it. I give you permission to conduct an extensive, thorough search." I tell her, sticking my hands up in the air a little higher.

This is not what I had in mind when I got here, but I have a feeling that she's about to teach me that taking detours is a good thing…

She pats me down, intentionally avoiding my waistband.

She knows good and damn well where that shirt is… but if she wants to touch me, if she wants to run her hands down my chest, I'm not going to complain or offer up any objections...

She looks up at me and smiles, then, she does something that blows my mind…

She squats down and runs both of her hands down my left leg…

I bite my bottom lip as I feel a familiar tightening in my groin.

She then slowly runs her hands down my right leg.

She stands up and sighs.

"If I was a shirt, where would I hide?" She asks, looking into my eyes.

I smile as I feel her press herself up against me again.

Her hands make their way to my chest, and then… to my surprise… they find their way to my ass.

I would say something… but I'm scared that what she's doing to me has caused me to develop a sudden speech impediment. I am positive that I can't form a sentence right now, and stuttering through a fragment wouldn't do much good… so I remain silent as she cups my ass once, twice…

Her hands gradually make their way from my ass to my pockets…

It's times like these that I wish I could control myself… but I can't… and so, I am almost one hundred percent certain that she is well aware of how much I am enjoying this…

She takes her hands out of my pockets, and, glancing down at my crotch, she smiles up at me.

"That doesn't look like a t-shirt…" She tells me, running her hands up my chest.

I smile back at her and ask, "Should I apologize?"

"I'd say that you've got nothing to be sorry about…" She says, looking down, then looking back up at me.

I laugh, her shirt the last thing on my mind, and she lunges for it…

My reaction time is too slow, and I watch as she holds the shirt up in the air victoriously.

She climbs onto her bed and, jumping up and down, she laughs as she tells me, "Something was up… but your guard was down."

I laugh and walk over to the bed, enjoying watching her jump…

I watch as her feet leave the bed, land on the bed, leave the bed, land on the bed…

She is laughing until she realizes that I have grabbed her feet and pulled them out from under her.

Landing on her back, she gasps, and I climb on top of her, pinning her to her mattress.

She has stopped laughing, and her smile slowly fades as I trace a line from beneath her right breast to her belly button with my finger.

"God, you are beautiful…" I whisper, leaning in and pressing my lips to hers.

When I pull away, she is smiling and I spot an opportunity to recover the coveted black shirt…

I snatch it away from her and jump to my feet.

"Ah-ha! Victory is mine!" I yell, running out of her bedroom.

"You little… give me my shirt!" I hear her yell as I make my way into her living room.

I toss the shirt onto her couch and sit down on top of it.

She comes in, smiling, shaking her fist at me.

I'm going to get it… but I have a feeling that I'm going to enjoy getting it…


	5. Getting Burned

Disclaimer: No, they're not ours, but I mean, really, who's going to stop us from using 'em? Who, I ask… who! (damn straight… no one!)

A/N: Sarah said that I was a doodiehead for writing chapter 4 the way I wrote it… I can't help it, y'all… I see an opportunity, and hey, my mama always told me to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way… I'm just doin' what my mama told me to do, Sarah, so if chapter 4 got you hot, you now know who to blame…

A/N2: I am so proud of Sarah… this piece was amazing, and in chapter 6, I get her back for torturing Harm like she makes Mac torture him… (hurry, hurry… read this then go on to chapter 6... I promise that you'll love it if you love that sort of thing… lol)

Coveted Cotton

"Getting Burned"

Chapter 5

Damn.

He's sitting on my couch, hard as a rock, smiling at me…

This man is anything but modest and shy…

I see that look in his eyes, and as much as I would love to give in, this game is far from over… in fact, it has just begun.

I saunter over to him, and, wasting no time, I climb into his lap.

"You're not playing fair…" I tell him, resting my hands on his shoulders.

He smiles up at me, his hands on my waist, and says, "All is fair in love and war."

I smile at him, then lean in and press my lips to his. We kiss, and as he opens his mouth, I slip my tongue in and deepen the kiss.

While we are making out, I decide that it's time to play dirty.

My hands behind my back, I work at unclasping my bra.

When we pull away from each other, we are breathless, and when he notices what I am up to, his expression changes…

He is no longer the cocky hot-shot in control of this game.

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?" He asks, his voice shaky.

I nod.

"A little help, please…" I say, leaning forward, my chest in his face.

"Mac… are you… are we… what am I…" He says, unable to form a coherent sentence.

I laugh.

"Do I have to do everything myself?" I ask, fumbling with the clasp once again.

I have no intentions of baring all, but he doesn't have to know that…

I am enjoying watching him squirm..

"Whoa… Mac, are you serious? Or is this just an attempt to get that shirt?" He asks, his eyes wide with surprise.

I run my hands down his chest and start to unbutton his shirt. I loosen his tie and trail kisses from his neck to his jaw line.

"Forget the shirt…" I whisper into his ear.

I know my shirt is under his ass… so basically, all I have to do is get him on his feet…

With the look on his face, I'll have no problem getting him to play along.

"Mac… if you want the shirt… you can…" He starts, but stops.

I watch his eyes as they lower and linger. Shamelessly, he is taking in the sight of bare flesh. His lips turn up into a smile and then he makes eye contact with me once again.

Men…

Boobs and ass are going to be the downfall of their kind.

"What if I don't want the shirt anymore? What if I've found… something else… I want?" I ask, looking down then bringing my gaze back up so that I am looking into his eyes.

"Are we still playing this game… or is something else happening here?" He asks, attempting to establish some boundaries.

Part of me wants to stop this… to tell him that we shouldn't be doing this… that this little game needs to end… but… a bigger part of me wants to see how far he is willing to go…

He's Harm…

He will take this but so far…

Right?

Will he put a stop to this, or is he willing to let go and see what happens?

"I'm not one to play games, Harm… you know that…" I tell him, unbuttoning buttons once again.

I take his tie off, and, tossing it over my shoulder, I lean in to kiss him once again.

As we kiss, his hands caress my bare back and a shot of intense longing courses through my veins…

This is getting serious…

What started out as an innocent game has now become something completely different…

He leans forward and I assist him in taking off his dress shirt, our lips parting only once… breathing is necessary…

He tosses his dress shirt behind him and it lands… somewhere… I don't care where…

I grab the hem of his white undershirt and help him pull it over his head. I toss it behind me, and it lands somewhere near his tie…

Flesh…

His bare chest is warm, and as we kiss, I am so close to him that I swear I can hear his heart pounding…

"Are you sure?" He asks, questions in his eyes…

I nod, and standing up, I grab him by the hand.

He stands up, and I grab him by the belt, tugging him towards my bedroom…

He follows me willingly.

For a split second, I think of running over to the couch and grabbing my shirt…

But what would be the point of putting it on just to take it off again?

I pull him to me and smile as I notice that he is unbuckling his belt.

I watch his belt his the floor.

It's not too late to stop this… I can still change my mind…

My mind is racing, full of thoughts of consequences and repercussions…

We are crossing lines that cannot be uncrossed, striking matches and watching them burn…

I can feel the heat, the warmth of desire… and I am drawn to it like a moth to a flame…

It's been so long since I have been burned… and now…

I am playing with fire…


	6. TellAllYourFriends

Disclaimer: In chapters 1-5, I used them… eventually, I will put them back… I swear…

A/N: Sarah, Sarah, Sarah… what am I going to do with you? With the way she ended chapter 5, I had to write this the way I wrote it… but hey, I somehow managed to take this where I wanted to take it… I think you'll like how it turned out… Sarah and I skipped out on classes today to finish this up… who needs a degree? lol

A/N2: We can leave this as it is, or… over the weekend we can come up with some more and post what we come up with on Monday. You guys just let us know… do we stop here or what? Good reviews equals more typing time for me and Sarah… bland reviews, well then… the story stays as is and we start on something else… it's up to y'all. Either way, we'll write…

Coveted Cotton

"Tell-All-Your-Friends"

Chapter 6

I kick off my shoes, rid myself of socks, and when I look up at her, I stop and stand completely still…

She is staring at me, her eyes full of concern…

I don't have to ask her what's wrong.

I already know.

She's worried about consequences…

She's thinking that this is going to change everything…

She's wondering if she's really ready to take this step…

Without saying a word, I walk over to her and pull her into my arms.

I hold her close to me, feeling her body shake as I listen to her sob quietly…

I kiss her on top of the head and, my voice a whisper, I ask her, "Is it okay if I just hold you?"

She pulls away from me a little, looks up at me, and nods.

I walk over to her bed and pull the covers back. I crawl into the bed and she crawls in next to me, burying her face in my shoulder.

I wrap my arms around her and close my eyes.

"I'm sorry." She says, her voice muffled.

I pull her closer to me and whisper, "You don't owe me an apology… or an explanation."

She positions herself so that she can look me in the eyes.

"It's not that I don't want to…" She says, her words interrupted as I press my index finger to her lips.

"Mac… I understand." I tell her, looking into her eyes. I flash her a smile and add, "Besides… this is nice."

I feel her slip her hand into mine as she says, "I want to be with you…"

Laying here, holding her close to me, I remember something that I realized years ago but somehow allowed myself to forget…

She is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

She snuggles up against me and whispers, "I want to get this right… I can't mess things up with you… I can't afford to… with the others, I had nothing to lose… with you… it's different. I want to be with you… you're the one… "

I close my eyes and feel them start to burn as tears form.

That's all I've ever wanted…

I have wanted to be the one she wants to be with, the one she loves, the one she comes home to, the one she shares herself with… the one who kisses her until she is breathless, the one who makes love to her, the one hold who holds her while she sleeps…

I open my eyes and, with tears streaking my face, I whisper, "Lets take forever one day, one hour, one minute… one step at the time."

She pulls away from me and, when she sees my tears, she starts crying again.

She presses her lips to mine and as we kiss, her free hand makes it's way up my chest.

When the kiss ends, I smile at her and whisper, "I love you… you know that, right?"

She nods and tells me, "I know… and the feeling is oh, so mutual…"

"So… you love me, huh?" I ask, my hand slipping out of her hand and around her waist.

I trace a line from her shoulder down to her hand, and, holding her hand once again, I lean in close to her and kiss her again.

This kiss is long, slow… deepened as she opens her mouth, allowing our tongues to dual passionately…

I pull away, breathless, and she looks into my eyes.

"I love you." She says simply.

Once again, my lips find their way to hers, and as we kiss, our hands busy themselves exploring each other's bodies…

We pull away from each other and she smiles up at me.

"I bet you some amazing, tell-all-of-you-friends sex that I get to that shirt before you do…" She says, tossing the covers off of her and getting out of bed.

Hot damn!

I fight the covers and, unsuccessful in my attempts to free myself from them, I fall face-first onto her floor.

Crawling and still struggling with the covers, I slowly but surely make my way into her living room.

She is laughing as I stand up and struggle to untangle myself.

"I win…" She says, holding the shirt in her hand.

I shake my head.

If it wasn't for my bad luck, I'd have no luck at all…

"Congratulations." I say dejectedly.

She is still smiling as she walks over to me.

"You lost our little bet, didn't you?" She asks, ruffling my hair and laughing.

"Yeah… I lost the bet… but in a way, I still won." I tell her, smiling at her.

She raises an eyebrow and threatens, "If you try to take this away from me, I will forget that I love you and I will kick your ass…"

I laugh as I take a step towards her.

"I lost the bet… but I still have you… so, in a way… I still won." I explain, reaching out to her.

She drops the shirt and leans up against me.

"I won the bet… so… what do I get?" She asks playfully.

I think for a second, and then, it occurs to me just exactly what she has won…

"How about some amazing, tell-all-your-friends sex?" I offer, flashing her a smile.

She frowns.

Shit.

Way to go, Rabb…

Once again, you've done something wrong.

"One problem with collecting my winnings…" She says, still frowning.

I sigh.

I can't believe that I am such a… man…

There I go again, thinking with my dick…

"What's the problem?" I ask, knowing I have messed up yet again.

She is pouting as she says, "We're going to have amazing sex… and I've got no friends to tell…"

She starts laughing and I can't help but smile.

Taking her by the hand and leading her back into the bedroom, I tell her, "If you want to talk about it, I promise I'll listen…"

We both laugh as I pull you up against me.

Once in her bedroom, we spend the rest of the afternoon making love.

I caress her fears away, and with my body, I say what I cannot say with words.

With each moan and sigh, I make promises that I intend to keep… and I assure her that this is where we are supposed to be… that we are finally getting it right…

During the night, we make love once… twice… then at dawn, we make love once again…


End file.
